Boone offering to join my ever expanding little group wasn't a surprise. With no reason to remain in Novac, I was his best excuse to leave. I was left wondering, had I denied his offer, if he would have just taken off and fought the Legion by himself. But both he and I knew that was nothing short of suicide. I asked him to prove his talent from the mouth of the dinosaur, and he was taking out targets at distances I certainly couldn't hit.

With Boone leaving, I had a feeling Novac would eventually empty. His parting with Manny was bittersweet more than anything. The two had obviously been friends for a long time, but their falling out was still fresh in the memory. The pair at least shook hands before we departed, wishing each other good lucky, and Manny even apologised, not for disliking his wife, but just for the fact she had been taken. Boone was gracious enough to accept it.

Cass nor I had yet told Boone of what we'd discovered. I tried broaching the subject as we hit the highway out of Novac, but Boone insisted he didn't want to know. "She's dead, Uhtred. Other than that, I don't want to know."

"Are you sure you don't want the caps?"

"It's blood money. But don't feel bad for keeping it. Consider it payment for taking care of the ghouls and then helping me find the person responsible. You're going to need them a lot more than I am."

"Are you sure?"

"I am. But thanks for asking."

There was at least a little good news regarding the floating robot. It now had a name. Well, sort of. Chris, being the technical wizard he'd already proven to be, was surprised to see I was followed by it out of my room upon departure. "Where'd you get the eyebot?"

"Is that what it is or what it's called?"

"I'm sure it has some sort of official name, but they're called eyebots. They're pre-war machines. I'm amazed you found one that is still functional."

"For what purpose were they built, exactly?" To that question, Chris could only shrug. "Well, it's been helpful so far," I explained, "It has a weapon and has proven to be an effective scout."

The eyebot beeped at that, a rather happy set of notes, I thought. I had spoken, for want of a better term, with the eyebot in my room and I had come up with a system. I would only ask it yes or no questions, or only ask it questions it could answer with a number. It would beep once for 'yes' and twice for 'no', or would beep however many numbers I needed. It had proven to be an effective system so far.

We'd only walked an hour or so when I noticed the enormous building off to our left, asking my companions what it was. "That's Helios One," Chris replied, "It's the only functioning power plant I know of in the Mojave. Well, apart from the Hoover Dam, but that isn't exactly in the best working condition either. That's not to say it's not providing power, but I know the NCR are still trying to get it completely operational. More importantly, it proves fresh water."

"Who runs it now?" I wondered.

"The NCR hold both Helios and Hoover Dam. But from what I know, which isn't a whole lot, they can't get the power plant to function properly at Helios. But, then again, it's pre-war technology, and anyone who would have understood it has been dead for two hundred years."

"Don't suppose you would know anything about it?" Cass asked, slightly tongue in cheek I thought.

Chris just shrugged. "I could give it a go, but the NCR aren't just going to let the four of us stroll on site and have a poke around."

I couldn't help but look at Boone. He returned my glance and shook his head. "Don't even bother asking. I'm ex-NCR. They'll tell me to piss off, just like yourselves. Besides, I thought you wanted to hunt down this Benny character."

"Merely wondering about the power plant, that's all." I glanced at Chris. "Plus, it might give our engineering friend a job."

"Do you think they'd take me?"

I shrugged. "No harm in finding out. Anyone objections to trying?"

There were none, so we turned off the road and headed overland towards the power plant. About fifty metres out, I noticed a few soldiers on patrol, a couple of dogs on a leash, so I figured the plant might have more defences than any of us realised. I knew our progress was being watched, quietly asking everyone to holster their weapons. Around twenty metres away from the barricade, we found weapons now trained on us, though who I assumed was the officer in charge raised a hand.

"Who approaches?" she called.

Boone stepped forward next to me. "Lieutenant Craig Boone. 1st Recon Battalion. Retired."

The female officer returned a half-salute. "Lieutenant Haggerty. What brings you to Helios One?"

Boone gestured to me. "We were just wondering about this place. What is it?"

She cast me with a suspicious glance, though I think having Boone in our ranks probably helped. Eventually she just shrugged. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I would be expecting a lot more noise from this place if it was working, so I'm assuming it's not. One of my companions here, Chris, is an engineer and knows a thing or two about sciences. Is that right, Chris?"

"It is."

"Are you offering help?" the Lieutenant asked, and I didn't miss the hope in her voice.

"Well, not all of us, but did you happen to see the rockets that flew by the other day?" I wondered.

"Yeah, where did they come from?"

"REPCONN. And Chris was responsible for getting those birds in the air. He's now looking to offer his help wherever it's needed. A few caps wouldn't go amiss, but he needs work."

She didn't need any more convincing, thumbing behind at the door leading into the power plant. "Your friend can enter, at least. You're looking for the idiot in the sunglasses. He's been here for months trying to get this damned place working. I know for a fact he's been lying to us, but the decision wasn't mine at the time, and trying to convince my superiors is like talking to a brick wall. I'd have had him shot otherwise."

Looking at Chris, I asked, "Will this do for now?"

"It will. I look forward to another challenge."

"Once you get this working, I'm sure we'll find you plenty more work otherwise," the Lieutenant added.

Shaking hands with Chris, he said, "I'll try and keep in touch, Uhtred. Communication isn't easy, but I have a feeling someone like you will be easy to find."

"Good luck. And if I'm ever in need of an engineer or a scientist, I'll know where to go."

"If you want to follow me," one of the NCR troops said, gesturing to the door, and after Chris shook the hand of everyone else in our group, he headed towards the door, turning and waving at us a final time, before disappearing.

Without another word, we headed back to the road north.

The highway was rather dull, with very little around us once we left the power plant behind. It was flat and rather featureless, absolutely no shade around, with the sun continuing to beat down on us, it was all rather uncomfortable. The good thing is that we did actually pass a couple of caravans. They all knew Cass, and she received plenty of questions about what she was doing with us. Her replies were rather terse, and they were smart enough to sense that something had happened. But we managed to buy one or two supplies, including a little food, which were running low on, and all the purified water they carried.

Following ancient signs to Boulder City, we eventually reached a junction, turning right to follow the highway onwards. What eventually greeted our eyes beggared belief, and I was left wondering how recent the destruction was.

"This was a city, right?" I asked as we came to a stop, still some distance away.

"Well, they called it a city but…" Cass replied, but trailed off.

"I count three buildings still standing," I added, "What the hell happened here?"

We all looked at Boone. "I don't want to talk about it. I'm sure there are others you can ask."

It wasn't a city. It was three buildings, maybe one or two more, but the piles of rubble looked new. I don't think this is the work of bombs from two hundred years ago. This looks… recent. Very recent. It was eerily quiet and the road leading towards the city was deserted, no-one coming or going from the ruins. On the approach to the outskirts of the city, there appeared to be some sort of stone plinth. Standing in front of it was a soldier, who turned upon hearing our approach.

"What's that?" I asked, gesturing to the plinth.

"The list of the fallen during the First Battle of Hoover Dam," Boone replied quietly.

It was a long list of names. I noticed Boone remove his cap and lower his head in respect. Cass and I at least removed our hats and joined in the moment of silence.

"And what happened here?" I followed up a minute later, this time gesturing at the ruins.

"This is… was Boulder City. It was part of the front-line during the first war against the Legion. NCR soldiers drew in the best the Legion had to offer after packing digging enormous trenches, packing them with dynamite, and laying nearly every single building with explosives. Once the Legion were deep in the bowels of the city, the NCR blew it up. They say the sound of the explosion was heard all the way back to the west coast."

"Not surprising. There's nothing left," Cass stated quietly.

"They won't rebuild. It will be left as a memorial to the fallen," Boone said.

Thanking him for the information, the three of us plus the eyebot walked closer to the ruins. I thought I could see movement within them, Boone suggesting there might still be an NCR presence within them. Well, I was told Benny and his friends had headed this way. Maybe they will know something about it?

Boone recognised the NCR uniforms and pointed us in the direction of who he assumed was the CO. He was busy relaying orders to his subordinates as we approached, only turning upon a cleared throat from Boone. He appeared surprised by our appearance, though whether that was from not hearing us approach, or he didn't expect to see civilians, I wasn't sure. His eyes moved over us before resting on Boone.

"1st Recon?"

"I was."

"You fought here, didn't you?"

"What feels like a long time ago now. Lot's happened since then."

He looked over our group again before his eyes rested on me. "I'm not sure what a bunch of civilians are doing here. Boulder City isn't off limits to anyone, but there's nothing here for anyone. Not anymore."

"I'm looking for someone. I was told he was heading this way." I removed my hat. "I'm sure you can understand why."

He remained silent for a few moments, obviously thinking. He held out a hand, which I grasped. "Lieutenant Monroe."

"Uhtred."

"Strange name."

"Stranger times."

He gestured for us to follow as he continued. "Okay, here's the situation. There's a group of Great Khans holed up in the ruins. I would assume they are the people you are looking for."

"I'm specifically looking for a man in a checked suit."

Monroe shrugged. "I haven't seen anyone by that description, but he may have left before we arrived. We only came here because we heard of Khan presence. Unfortunately, we walked straight into an ambush and they now hold two of my people hostage. They've threatened retribution should we attempt to take them back by force."

"What about negotiating?"

"The NCR does not negotiate with groups like the Khans. But I'm waiting for orders. I don't want to be responsible for the murder of two of my squad."

"I'm hoping they might have information for me. Why don't you let me get in close and see if I can get the information while also freeing your people."

"And what will you want in return?"

"Nothing. I just want the information."

"If you can get them to release the hostages and relinquish their weapons, I'd be willing to let them return home. This is just a bad situation that's blown out of control."

"Really?" Boone asked in surprise, "You'd just let them go?"

Monroe looked at Boone. "We've done enough to their people. Surely you understand?"

"More than you know," Boone muttered, "I'd better not go in, Uhtred. They see me in a 1st Recon hat, they'll just start shooting. I'll wait back here."

"Why don't both of you wait back here for now. I'll be fine. That includes you, eyebot. I think they'd probably take a shot at you for fun."

There were murmurs of disagreement, even from the eyebot, a series of beeps which even I could interpret. Monroe led me to where his troopers were waiting. I noticed four of them perched on ruins, their rifles aimed across what looked like no man's land. Monroe explained he had at least another half a dozen soldiers spread throughout the ruins, all under orders not to open fire. He pointed towards one of the few buildings still standing, around a hundred or so metres away.

"We know there are Khans spread out from around fifty metres backwards. Their numbers are few, but we don't know where they all are. But we know they are definitely in that building over there."

Sharing a glance with my colleagues, noticing a grimace from Boone and Cass nothing but worried, I made sure I didn't carry a weapon as I started to cross the divide. It was so quiet; I could even hear the wind whistle through the ruins. I wasn't nervous at all. If the Khans wanted to shoot me, so be it. But I knew they were stuck in these ruins for a reason, and I only wanted answers from them. I knew it was Benny that pulled the trigger. I couldn't remember it, but from everything Manny had told me, he was the man I wanted above all.

Around three quarters of the way across, stumbling over the ruins of what may have once been houses or apartments, I heard someone yell out for me to stop and raise my hands. I immediately did so, wanting to prove my co-operation. "What the fuck do you want?" someone called out. I looked for the source of the voice but couldn't place it.

"Information," I replied.

"About what?"

"The man who shot me."

There was silence for a good couple of minutes, figuring that words may have passed from whoever want on the front lines to whoever was in charge. Eventually I saw someone pop up out of cover. I think it was a woman, though the mohawk haircut, tattoos and dirt on the face and body, and the lack of breasts, left me wondering. Then she spoke, and any doubt was removed, though the rifle pointed in my direction left me with my hands still raised.

"No sudden moves or it won't only be me putting a bullet in you."

"I just want to talk."

"You NCR?"

I laughed. "Do I look like one?" I retorted, ensuring I removed my hat, "As I said, I just want to talk. I want the man who left me with these."

I read her eyes and her face. I wasn't hideous. I'd seen myself in a mirror and, while there was damage, it could probably have been a whole lot worse. It was only a couple of scars, and I figured they'd continue to heal with each day, week and month that passed. But there was little doubt I'd been shot in the head as I put my hat back on.

"You'd better follow me," the Khan suggested.

I found myself following three of them through the ruins towards the lone building in the distance. I didn't see any more Khans, though assumed they may have been hidden elsewhere, as the entire city was little more than ruins, piles of bricks, steel and masonry. There were two Khans guarding the doorway, one of them knocking as we approached.

"Who's this?" the other asked.

"He wants to talk."

Both guards looked me up and down. "He NCR?"

"He says he's not. I'm inclined to believe him."

"Well, if he can get us out of this mess…"

The Khan woman opened the door before standing to the side, gesturing for me to enter. The room I walked into was dimly lit by no more than a couple of lamps. There was only one man waiting for me, and the face he made upon walking in would have made me laugh at any other time.

"What the hell? You're that courier Benny wasted back in Goodsprings. You're supposed to be dead."

I removed my hat again, what was becoming a common occurrence whenever I happened to meet someone new. "Not dead yet. And you took something that belonged to me."

"Well, you're shit out of luck when it comes to that…"

Stepped forward, I placed my hat carefully on the counter, leaning forward slightly as I placed my hands down. "Right, what you are going to do now is tell me everything you know. Do that, and I won't put a bullet in you."

"And you won't walk out of here alive."

"I survived being shot in the head. And I've been through worse since then. Trust me, I will be walking out of these ruins alive, whether you're dead in this building or walking out alongside me."

"What do you mean?"

"First, talk. Tell me everything you know."

He appeared to mull over his options. Part of me thought he'd reach for a gun and just try and put me down. Perhaps try and finish what Benny started. But I noticed that other part of his brain, the more sensible part, realised he had options that might mean he and his people would survive. He eventually nodded, and gestured for me to follow into a back room, where a desk and a couple of chairs were placed. I took a seat and he was polite enough to offer a drink, pouring a couple of fingers of whiskey into a mug.

"Name's Jessup. If you don't already know, I'm a Khan."

"Uhtred, the courier you and your friends kidnapped and attempted to murder."

"Yeah, I know… Look, I know we tried to kill you, but will you believe me when I say it was all Benny's idea?"

"From what I've learned about this Benny, and to be honest, I don't know a whole lot, he sounds like a bit of a cunt."

Jessup laughed. "That's about right. Look, I know we did you no favours. But I can assure you that he pulled the trigger."

"I know that."

"Okay, and I'm sure you've figured out Benny isn't here."

"Tell me everything you know about him. That's all I want. If you don't have the chip, which again, to be honest, even I know nothing about, then I want to know about the man."

"Ever heard of The Chairmen?" I shook my head. "Big shots who run a casino on the Strip. Called The Tops. I have friends who work there, came to me with news about this big job Benny wanted to pull. You were the target. I'll give you credit, you didn't go down easily."

"Yeah, I don't remember that. I don't remember anything from before waking up in Goodsprings." He looked ready to apologise, so I stopped him. "Whether you mean it or not, it doesn't matter. All that matters now is finding Benny."

"If he's anywhere, he's back on the Strip. And he has the chip. Don't ask me what the fuck it does, because I don't have a clue. We were paid to grab you, put you in the ground, then escort him back to Vegas. But he turned out be a fuckin' snake."

"How so?"

"He offered more caps than we could have dreamed of. Probably more than was realistic for the job we were going to pull. But with the sum offered, we couldn't say no. He gave us half before, and was going to give us half back on the Strip. Then he turned on us." I finished the mug he had given me, carefully placing down the mug. I made sure I'd left my coat on, but open enough so he would have seen my holstered pistols. And there was little doubt he saw them, though I made absolutely no move or suggestion that I was going to start firing. "So what happens now?" he asked.

"You've given me the information I wanted. You didn't put the trigger. My quarrel is not with you."

"Seriously?"

"I have said since waking up in Goodsprings that I was only ever after the trigger man. Anyone else involved was incidental. An eye for an eye. That's all I'm after."

"So what happens to us?"

"There is a second reason why I've been sent in here. The NCR troopers you have as hostages. If you release them, the Lieutenant in charge has assured me that you can go free, though you will have to relinquish your weapons."

"You're serious?" I nodded. "But without weapons…"

"Better than remaining here and eventually falling in a gun battle. If this isn't resolved peacefully, the NCR will send more soldiers here and you will eventually die."

"Can I have time to think about this?"

I shrugged. "Sure. I'll let the Lieutenant know you're considering options. If you do choose to release them, make sure you follow behind without weapons in hand."

"I will do."

I stood up and was immediately going to leave when Jessup called after me. "Hey, Uhtred," he said, throwing something at me. I caught it and looked at the object in my hand, recognising it as a lighter, "When you eventually catch up with Benny, before you kill him, make sure to shove that up his arse first. And give him a bullet from the Khans."

I nodded before turning and walking out of the building.

Everyone waiting for me was surprised to see me looking so well, even… happy. I wasn't happy, but I was certainly content. I now had everything I needed, though I knew getting onto the Strip, into the casino, and then facing down Benny was not going to be easy at all. But I had a complete objective now. It felt… comforting. I finally knew what I was doing, though after that… Well, I suppose I had options.

"Lieutenant, I managed to get the Khans to agree to release the hostages. In addition, they will relinquish weapons and follow the hostages out. Is that agreeable?"

"I've just had word from HQ that we're to storm the building, but I'm ignoring that request. Some of us remember…" He shook his head. "Never mind, you probably don't know about it. Well," he then looked at Boone, "Maybe some of us do."

"Yeah, some of us…" Boone muttered.

"You've done us a favour here, Uhtred. Where are you headed now?"

"The Strip."

"Well, if you ever find yourself in the region of Camp McCarran, I'll pass word on that you're a friend of the NCR. You might even find yourself a job if you want one."

"I have my own situation to resolve first, but I'll certainly consider it afterwards."

We shook hands before he wished me and my companions good luck. As soon as we were out of the ruins, my companions had a million and one questions about what I'd learned. I told them the basics, as the whole story wasn't important. What I did want to know about from them was the Strip. Mostly what to expect and what opposition I might run into.

"Just getting onto the strip might be difficult," Cass explained, "You need a caps. A lot of caps, otherwise the securitrons will stop you."

"How many do you need?"

Cass shrugged. "The price changes constantly. Sometimes up. Sometimes down. I think they just do it on a whim to piss people off."

"Well, we have the money from the jobs in Novac. Will that be enough?"

"I guess we'll find out when we get there."

It was getting late by the time we left Boulder City behind, re-joining the highway that should have taken us all the way to New Vegas. Approaching what appeared to be a bridge, I was surprised to see a small town appeared to have formed, a couple of shacks and the carcasses of vehicles providing rudimentary shelter to the elements. There were a few people around, sitting at some tables and chairs, Cass explaining that, in addition to a home for a few people, this was a rest stop for travellers and traders, with protection provided by the NCR.

Stopping on the bridge, I surveyed the scene ahead, the tall buildings of New Vegas in the distance, though much closer than ever before. And somewhere in there is Benny. I wonder if he feels me closing in on him. I wonder if he knows I'm still alive. Lost in thought, I didn't hear anyone approach me until they were by my side.

"No offence, but you look like you've travelled a long way down some bad roads. Where have you come from?"

I'll admit, the blunt remark made me laugh. "Why do you ask?"

"I see travellers all day, every day. Most are soldiers, merchants or civilians coming to and from Vegas. Your little group looks… different."

I still hadn't glanced in the direction of the voice, keeping my eyes on the horizon. The voice was friendly, though, so I knew there wasn't going to be any trouble. "I guess it is. But we are on our way to Vegas too. Just for a different reason that most other people."

"What reason would that be?" I finally turned towards the voice, noticing a hooded woman look back at me. I'll admit straight away that I thought she was… pretty. Can a woman be pretty or are they only beautiful? Er, never mind. But her face matched her voice, and when she lowered the hood, I know I smiled. She noticed. "Yeah, I wouldn't get any ideas." The tone made me laugh. Well, that's a warning if ever I've heard one.

I removed my hat so she would get a good look at the scars. "That's why I'm on my way to Vegas." I heard her gasp. "I am after the man who did that," I added before placing my hat back on my head.

"I would ask who and why, but I guess they don't really matter now, right?"

"The only thing that matters is finding the man who did it. I already know who. I already know why. Now there is only… I wouldn't even call it justice. I just want him in my sights. Then I will return the favour."

She held out a hand. "I'm Veronica."

"Uhtred," I replied, shaking her hand, "So, you've approached me for a reason. Do you want something?"

It was a rather blunt question, but I knew what people were now like. They would only talk to me if they wanted something. But she didn't reply to my question directly, gesturing towards one of the nearby tables. Once we sat down and ordered a drink, she asked, "What do you think of all this?" gesturing at the horizon.

"Well, considering I have no memory of my life before taking a bullet in the head, I'd say it's an ugly harsh landscape. Life is hard. Conditions are brutal. And it seems like everything and everyone wants to kill you."

She laughed. "That sounds about right. Do you know where you are from?"

"No, I don't remember. If anyone asks, I just say I'm from Goodsprings. That's where I woke up. That's where this part of my life began."

"You ever heard of the Brotherhood of Steel?"

"I've heard the name. Other than that, no, I know nothing about them."

Boone must have been listening in, as he approached the table, taking a seat alongside me. Cass joined too, sitting next to Veronica. "We fought them," Boone stated, "The NCR. You remember that power plant we dropped Chris off at?"

"Helios One?" I asked.

He nodded. "We fought the Brotherhood for control of it. I'll give them credit. They fought tooth and nail to retain control of it."

I looked at Veronica, noticing her face fall slightly. "We lost a lot of good people trying to keep control. And after that, we retreated to our bunker and that is where they still are. I was born and raised in that bunker, and I'm one of the few allowed out."

"So are you a soldier?"

"No, I'm a scribe."

"Why are you out here?"

"A couple of reasons. One, to gather resources. Two, to gather information. But can I be honest about something?"

"Sure."

"I crave… I don't know, adventure. But remaining around here is getting me nowhere, and I hate being kept on some sort of leash." I couldn't help chuckle. "What?" she asked, confused by my laughter.

I glanced at Cass beside her. "Looks like you won't be the only woman now, Cass." I then turned to Boone. "Will this be a problem?"

"My beef is with the Legion, not the Brotherhood."

"So can I join you?" Veronica asked hopefully.

"What do you hope to get out of joining me? My task is simple at the moment. Get to Vegas, find the man who shot me then deal with him. After that…"

"Any ideas for 'after that'?"

"Find out who I was and what I was doing here. I haven't met a single person yet who knows me. I want to know why that is."

"All of that sounds much better than what I'm doing now. And before you ask, the Brotherhood can take care of itself. What I manage to take back can easily be sourced by others."

"What do you guys think?" I asked the others. Their replies ranged from positive to they didn't really care, it was my decision in the end. Looking back at Veronica, I simply said, "Welcome aboard."

It was dark by the time we'd finished our conversation, fires having been started in barrels at either end of the bridge, and at various points in between, providing warmth and light. Cass had another bottle of whiskey, the four of us sharing a few drinks, the other three sharing stories of their lives. Boone didn't exactly share a lot himself, a rather private figure, while Cass managed to find humour in some parts of her past.

Boone asked me for a favour upon waking the next morning. Once he described what he wanted to do, I agreed immediately.